


Flirt War/Pet Names

by magumarashi



Series: Lacewood drabbles [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Age Difference, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 06:59:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13565283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magumarashi/pseuds/magumarashi
Summary: Serena comes to Sycamore's lab to get her Pokedex evaluated... or so she says.





	1. Flirt War

**Author's Note:**

> Serena has been aged up slightly; she's 19 in all of my Lacewood drabbles.
> 
> Unlike most of my other Pokemon fics, these have no continuity with my main timeline.

“Professor Sycamore!”

The professor looked up from his experiment at the sound of a familiar voice. It was Serena, dressed in frilly, summery clothes. The professor felt like she wore something different every time he saw her, even if it was just a different hat. He didn’t normally notice things like that, but with her, at least, he always noticed. He’d begun to look forward to evaluating her Pokédex for her, just to see all the little things that changed each time.

“Why, hello!” he stood up and came to greet her, “Wait, let me guess–you’ve come to get your Pokédex evaluated?”

She nodded before handing it to him.

“I see… Central Kalos is still the one you’ve filled the most. That’s fantastic! Are there any Central Kalos Pokémon you’ve really taken a shine to?”

Serena smiled.

“Well, I’ve certainly taken a shine to _something_ …” she said.

“Oh really?” the professor smiled, “That’s great, Serena! The Kalos region is full of different Pokémon, native and non-native. I hope you come to call many Pokémon your favorites.”

He looked over her other two Pokedexes. Coastal Kalos hadn’t changed very much, but Serena had acquired many more Mountain Kalos Pokémon since she’d last visited him.

“You’ve been visiting me a lot lately to get your Pokédex looked at…” he said, “Filling up the Pokédex can be fun, but it’s just one of the many things you can do as a trainer. Don’t just focus on the Pokédex because I asked you to–your journey is yours and your Pokémon’s alone. I want you to enjoy yourself and do whatever you’d like!”

Serena nodded.

“Mmhmm,” she said, “And guess what’s on the top of my to-do list.”

The professor furrowed his brow.

“Oh!” he said, “You’re pursuing gym badges, aren’t you? A fine thing for trainers to do–and it will strengthen the bond between you and your Pokémon.”

“Strengthening bonds, huh…? I’m pretty tight with my Pokémon, but I can name a few people I’d like to get a little closer to.”

Sycamore nodded.

“Making friends on your journey is one of my favorite things about traveling,” said the professor, “Seeing trainers I mentored interacting with people from around the world… It’s things like this that make me proud to be a professor.”

Serena smiled, though a little less genuinely this time.

“You know,” she said, “Next time I come to get my Pokédex checked, we should meet at a cafe instead!”

“A fantastic idea!” the professor nodded to himself, “I really do spend far too much time in my lab these days… Give me a call with the Holo Caster next time, and we’ll meet up in any cafe you’d like!”

“Will do,” said Serena, “Thanks for checking my Pokédex, professor.”

“As always, a pleasure.”

Serena nodded to him and to his assistant before leaving. As soon as the elevator doors clicked shut, the professor’s assistant turned to him.

“Whew,” she said, “You are really something, professor.”

“Am I?” said the professor, “Why do you say that…?”

“She was coming on to you that entire time, and you deflected her like a Wobbuffet using mirror coat. Amazing.”

“She was…?!”

“Aw, don’t tell me a ladies’ man like you didn’t notice!”

“W-well, I…!! I’m just not used to being on the receiving end–!”

“ _Right_.”

“Furthermore, regardless of what I do outside the lab, in the lab I am a _professional_. This is hardly the place for such behavior, and I wasn’t expecting it.”

The professor puffed himself up, but he knew his excuses weren’t the most convincing. He simply hadn’t noticed it, for all the other things he noticed about her. He went over their conversation in his mind; at least, as much as he could recall.

“Oh god…” he said, “Oh… oh wow. Yeah…”

“What?”

“She… really _was_ hitting on me, wasn’t she…?”

More perplexing, now, was how to respond. She’d certainly made her intentions clear enough–it fell on him to either accept or reject her, and therein lay the problem. Of late he had been prone to thinking about her rather more than he ought to. He certainly didn’t _want_ to reject her; that much was certain at the least. At the same time, he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to be to her. Normally he’d be overjoyed if the woman he’d been thinking about returned his feelings. With Serena… Any way he cut it, he couldn’t justify it. They had a considerable difference in age, and as a renowned professor he couldn’t completely avoid the public eye. If they were to have a relationship, and some tabloid found out…

“What’re you going to do?” asked the assistant, “She can’t be more than half your age… Is she even legal? You could probably file for sexual harass–”

“No, no,” said the professor, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

He couldn’t bear to damage the friendship they already had. Maybe that’s what he would tell her.

* * *

It wasn’t even a week later that the professor received a Holo Clip from Serena, inviting him to join her at Cafe Soleil so he could evaluate her progress. He felt certain now why she’d come to visit him so many times–but to hit on him outright? He hadn’t expected something like that from her. His reactions had been embarrassing.

_She must think I don’t understand such things…_

He repeated over and over what he would say to her as he walked to the cafe. He would apologize for being so oblivious. He would tell her that he valued their friendship more than anything. He would say things like “I’m far too old for you” and “My job keeps me busy, so even if I wished to reciprocate…” And at the end, he would pay for her coffee. They would leave the cafe as friends…

She was waiting for him at a table in the back. Today she was wearing a shirt in his favorite color–oh, she _must_ have done that on purpose–along with light jeans that showed off the shape of her legs. She looked up and waved as he came in.

He sat down across from her, and suddenly couldn’t remember the most eloquent versions of the things he’d wanted to say.

“O-order whatever you’d like,” he said, “My treat.”

She smiled.

“Listen, I’m sorry about last time…” she said.

Sycamore waved his hand.

“It’s in the past,” he said, “What’s done is done. Isn’t it far more important to focus on the present?”

Serena nodded.

“You know, I…” the professor began, but stopped. When he spoke again, the words sort of tumbled from his mouth, “I’ve always admired a woman who speaks her mind.”

He suddenly found himself wishing he’d made cue cards before he left the lab. Would they have helped, really? He could see himself dropping them on the floor and ignoring them regardless. This wasn’t the lab; he was sitting in a cafe across from the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about. He wasn’t even wearing his lab coat.

“Is that _so_?” said Serena, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hook, line, and sinker. He could hardly believe himself, but he kept going.

“You’ve surprised me, honestly,” he said, “Even from the day we met, you had a certain…”

“… _je ne sais quoi,”_ she finished for him, impeccably.

“Exactly,” he glanced at the menu briefly before flicking his gaze back to her, “That you can remember the exact words, even now… _très magnifique._ ”

It was Serena’s turn to look at the menu; the professor noticed some color in her cheeks. She perused the options for a while, and he glanced down at his own menu–he already knew what he wanted. He frequented this cafe, and the waiters already knew his usual order.

“Anything catch your fancy?” he asked, “Order anything you want, no need to be frugal.”

“Well…” said Serena, “Something _has_ caught my fancy, but… it’s not exactly on the menu.”

She looked up at him with her eyes only.

“Unless you’d _like_ it to be, of course.”

_Oh, she’s good._

“My dear, such an order might trouble the waiters,” said Sycamore, trying to ignore his pounding heart, “We can save that for later, can’t we?”

“If you _insist_ … I’ll have a cafe au lait, in that case.”

“An excellent choice.”

The professor waved over a waiter. A lanky boy with a brown bowl cut came to take their order.

“Ah, Professor Sycamore!” said the waiter, “Your usual, sir?”

“If you would,” said the professor.

“And you, miss?”

“A cafe au lait.”

The professor beckoned to the waiter and whispered something in his ear.

“Can you do that?”

“I’ll ask, but I believe we can, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Serena looked at him quizzically as the waiter walked off, but he just smiled at her kindly.

“Now,” said the professor, “I believe we have some unfinished business…?”

“Oh, right!” said Serena. She took her Pokédex from her bag–a different color bag than usual, the professor noted–and handed it to him.

“Hm…?” he said, looking at the welcome screen, “I may be mistaken, but these numbers don’t seem all that different from last time.”

He looked up at her.

“If you’re having trouble finding new Pokémon, the sea is a good place to look,” he said, “Some Pokémon hide under rocks on the beach. Others can be found while surfing on the back of a Pokémon. Still others may be found with a fishing rod and a skilled hand.”

“Oh, are you good at fishing, professor?” said Serena, “I’m no good at fishing, but _you_ strike me as someone who’s good with his hands.”

He’d walked right into that one, hadn’t he?

“ _Serena_ ,” he said coyly, “Such talk, in a place like this…?”

Serena threw up her hands.

“ _ME?”_ she said, “I _beg_ your pardon, professor, but just who was it who started us down this path…?”

The professor chuckled.

“Ah, you’ve got me there.”

“In any case,” said Serena, “If you’re _that_ concerned about being overheard, maybe we should just call it off until we’ve finished our coffee and moved somewhere a little more _private_ …?”

The professor raised his eyebrows.

“You really are something…” he said, resting his head on his hand, “ _Je ne sais quoi,_ indeed…”

He didn’t want to admit it at first, but he’d enjoyed himself. It was exhilarating, this back-and-forth banter. This was a side of her he’d never seen before–well, he had, but he hadn’t noticed. This time, when she had his full attention…

Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all, to be something more than friends.

Their coffee arrived. The professor’s “usual” was a dark, aromatic brew that Serena could smell from across the table. The cup was accompanied by some creamers and sugars, so that he could adjust the flavor as he pleased. Serena’s cup was a light coffee with creamy foam on top–the foam had been delicately shaped into a Dedenne and decorated with cocoa powder. Sycamore couldn’t help smiling as he watched Serena’s face light up.

“Enjoy,” he said, lifting his cup.

She lifted her cup as well. The foam Dedenne wobbled slightly.

“Thank you, professor,” she said, “I had fun talking to you this afternoon.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” said the professor, “And you don’t have to call me professor. ‘Augustine’ will do.”

“Augustine…” she tested the name on her lips. It was strange to address him by his first name; she rarely used his last name as it was. “Augustine Sycamore”. It didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but…

She smiled.

“Augustine. I like that name.”

The professor’s joy was genuine. If there hadn’t been a table between them, he would have embraced her right then. Such things would have to wait.

“Well, then… _santé!”_

The coffee washed away his doubt. Whatever this was, whatever this was going to be, he decided he would see it through. Never mind their age difference, never mind what people would think–he felt a profound connection to her, and if she felt the same, he could see no reason why he shouldn’t pursue it. They finished their coffee in relative silence. Sycamore paid.

As they left the cafe and headed towards the lab, a sudden thought occurred to him. He knew better than to act on it immediately; instead, he let it fall from his mouth as a question.

“Serena,” he said, “I hope this isn’t too forward, but–may I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“May I kiss you?”

She looked at him incredulously.

“After all that,” she said, “All that flirting, the shared glances, the coffee–and all you ask for is a single kiss?”

“W-well…” the professor looked away, “I don’t want to rush you, is all…”

She reached up to touch his face gently.

“Of course you may kiss me,” she said, “As long as it doesn’t stop there.”

“Oh, _you_ …!”

He bent slightly, pressing his lips to hers. Then, seeming to realize what he’d done, pulled away.

“You’re worried that someone will see us?” asked Serena.

He took her hand gently.

“My office door has a lock,” he said, voice nearly a whisper.

Serena smiled.

“ _Does_ it, now?”


	2. Pet Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena and the professor return to the lab for a little, ah, privacy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have left it at the last chapter but i had a mighty need to write some mutually consensual makin out

They were lucky; the third floor was empty of assistants, and they were able to get to Sycamore’s office uninterrupted. He opened the door for her; she slipped past him and put her bag down near the door. He followed, closing the door and turning the lock without moving his eyes from her. That smile hadn’t left her face since they left the cafe.

Sycamore crossed the room to draw the blinds on the window behind his desk, then turned to her. For a while they just stared at each other. She moved first, slinking across the room and into his waiting arms. He was loath to admit it, but lately, this was everything he’d been dreaming of. Her body felt so _right_ against his.

He raised a hand and, carefully, removed the hat from her head. He couldn’t recall if he’d ever seen her without a hat on before. She looked strange without it. At the same time, he wondered how many people on her journey had seen her this way… hatless, that is.

Her hands snaked up to his collar; he felt as if his heart might leave his chest in excitement. He couldn’t hold back anymore. Abandoning the hat on the floor, he took her head in his hands and kissed her. She reciprocated with equal force, hands reaching around his neck. They parted, breathlessly, after a few minutes.

_So she_ does _have some experience to back up all her talk…_ Once again, she’d surprised him. He wondered how he ought to put this knowledge to good use.

“Ah, _ma bichette_ ,” said the professor gently, “Before we go on, I must say one thing.”

“Yes?”

He smiled coyly.

“Only Kalos kissing is allowed in the Kalos Pokémon professor’s office.”

Serena giggled.

“Oh _really_? Well in _that_ case…”

She grabbed him by the shirtcollar and pulled him into another kiss. His surprise lasted only a moment, and his tongue darted into her mouth. She let out a startled squeak. He couldn’t help but smile as he released her.

_I see. There are some things I can still teach her._

“Could it be that you don’t know how…?” said Sycamore playfully. Serena wouldn’t meet his gaze, face redder than he’d ever seen it, “Ah, but that’s a problem easily mended. Come over here.”

He walked over to his desk and indicated to the leather chair next to it, but she climbed up to sit on his desk instead. At least this way, there wasn’t as much distance between their heads. He took her chin gently between his index finger and thumb.

“It’s simple, really,” said the professor, “But it may take some getting used to. If you’re not willing to try, of course, I’d be happy to make an exception…”

That was the important thing; he didn’t want to force her into anything.

“I’ll try it,” she said. He smiled.

“Alright,” he said, “Open your mouth just a little…”

She did as told. He touched his lips to hers tenderly, letting his tongue slide ever so slowly across the gap. She flinched a little, and he withdrew.

“Not good?”

“No, good,” she said, “Keep going. I want to get accustomed to this.”

She smiled at him playfully.

“I can’t imagine this will be my last time in this office, you know?”

It was all the professor could do to restrain himself from tackling her to the desk and snogging her senseless right there. It was simply _maddening_ how much he wanted her at that moment–!

“G-good,” he said finally, “Another try, then?”

“I’m ready when you are.”

He licked his lips. Her breath hitched for just a moment, and she looked away; anywhere but his face, familiar and close and stiflingly handsome. Sycamore touched her cheek gently, bringing her gaze back to him. There was some silence before their lips met again. Serena closed her eyes and tried to relax as his tongue entered her mouth a third time. But it was hard to focus, not when they were _connecting_ as intimately as this. She couldn’t help but jump as his tongue touched hers. He retreated just as gently as he’d entered.

“You let me get a little deeper this time,” he commented, “You’re learning well.”

She nodded.

“Tongue kissing is like the waves on a calm beach,” said the professor quietly, “In and out, ebbing and flowing. It’s not as though we’re jumping down each other’s throats, or trying to wrestle. Just a little touch, here and there… let it flow.”

He took her hand.

“Would you like to try?”

She nodded. He bent down close to her; she reached up with her free hand and buried it in his dark curls. Their lips met much more suddenly than before; he tugged a little on her bottom lip before allowing her to continue. Serena hesitated at first, trying to think of the best way to approach… well, it was her first time, she could hardly be expected to do it perfectly. Tentatively, she let her tongue slip between his waiting lips. For a brief moment she held it there–then, perhaps realizing what was happening, she withdrew.

“Weird?” asked the professor, “I must say, though, that was perhaps the most _adorable_ tongue kiss I’ve ever received.”

He brought her wrist to his lips, then flicked his gaze back to hers.

“ _Mon cœur…_ May I trouble you for another?”

She pulled him in a second time, his lips met hers eagerly. She felt herself falling slowly backwards and shifted her weight; she landed sideways on the desk without ever taking her lips from his. He bent over her, holding her wrist in one hand, propping himself up with the other. Her tongue darted cautiously into his mouth before timidly retreating. His followed as if beckoning her back.

At last they pulled apart to catch their breath. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed slowly, raggedly… Oh, he was _really_ getting worked up, wasn’t he? He squeezed her wrist affectionately.

“ _Augustine…!”_ she said, running her fingers through his hair.

_Mon dieu._

“Ah, don’t say it so desperately or you’ll _really_ tempt me,” he said, though he could hardly hide his own heavy breaths.

Something moved out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, straight out the side window, and into the window of the adjacent building. In his excitement he’d forgotten the side windows entirely and left their curtains open. An old woman was watching him from the other window. He froze.

“Is something wrong…?” asked Serena.

The old woman flashed a grin with several teeth missing and gave the professor a thumbs up. Then she closed the blinds of her own window.

“It’s fine,” said the professor, “Now, where were we…?”

Sycamore put a leg up and climbed the rest of the way onto the desk. He worried for a second that it wouldn’t support the two of them…

“I’d like to practice a little more,” said Serena. He released her wrist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I like the way you think,” he said, “ _Ma biche_ , shall we continue?”

“How many pet names do you _have_?” asked Serena.

“Many, many more than that,” said the professor, “It would be boring to always use the same one, no?”

He moved some hair from her face delicately.

“If you’d like,” he whispered, “You can hear all of them before we’re through. I’ll list them for you. One for each kiss.”

“ _You_ …!” Serena couldn’t help but laugh. She dragged him into a gentle kiss.

“Ah!” he said as she released him, “ _Mon amour,_ another!”

Serena giggled again and kissed him lightly.

“ _Ma chère… mon lapin… mon trésor…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of words the professor uses, in order:  
> My little doe  
> My heart  
> My god (not a pet name lol)  
> My doe  
> My love  
> My dear  
> My rabbit  
> My treasure


End file.
